Artificial eye and method of applying eyelashes thereto



N6v. .25, 1930; J GRUBMAN 1,782,818

ARTIFICIAL EYE AND METHOD OF APPLYING EYELASHES THERETO Filed Feb. '7. 1927 All ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEO J. GRUBMAN, or BELLE HARBOR, NEW YORK, Assmnon T0 MARKON MANUFAC- TUBING 00. me, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ARTIFICIAL EYE? AND METHOD-OF APPLYING EYELASHES 'rrrnnn'ro Application filed February 7, 1927. Serial No. 166,371.

1 This invention relates to artificial eyes and a method of applying eyelashes thereto, and has for its primary object to provide artificial eyes for use in dolls, display manikins and other figureswherein asimp-le and novel means is provided for fixedly securing the eyelash strands in definite projecting relation to the outer surface of the eye member together with a new method of applying the individual eyelash strands whereby this operation may be performed with expedition and accuracy. H v a More particularly, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, I provide an eyelash member of celluloid or other inherently resilient material in the form of a shell having a hemispherical wall withfa slit cuttherethrough in definitely predetermined relation to the geometrical center of said wall. The method of applying the eyelash forming strands consists essentially in forcing the strands under pressure. inwardly through said slit and thereby expandingthe opposed wall sections of the shell so that upon the withdrawal of the expanding means, the said slit is closed by the contractionof thelshell wall to its normal form and the lash forming strands thereby securely clamped and held between the edges of said slit. 1

It is another feature of my new methodiof applying the strands, to foldeach individual strand at its center upon itself as it is in-; serted through the slit in the wall ofthe shell so that as the edges ofthe slit close upon the folded portions of the strand, the externally projecting ends thereof are slightly separated and lie side by sideto form two individual lash members. If desired, I'may also apply upon the folded intermediate portions of the lash strands at theinnerside of the shell wall asmall quantity of liquid adhesive for the purpose of greater security.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved-an tificial eye and the method of applying the eyelashes thereto as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have disclosed one simple and practicalembodiment of the invention, and in which, similar reference characters designate. corresponding parts thereof throughout the several views,

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and t illustratethe successive steps in the method of applying the eyelash forming strands to the eye shell member, said member being illustrated in section;

Fig. 5 is a front end. elevation of the eye member, and y A t Fig. 6 is a detailhorizontal section on an 66 of Fig. 3 and showing one of the eyelash forming strands in its applied position relative to the wall of the eye shell.

- enlarged scale taken substantially on the line i The invention forming the subject matter of this-application, is in its essentials disclosed in Patent No. 1,569, l80, issued to the Grubman Engineering .& Manufacturing Company, Inc, on January 12, 1926. The

claimed subject matter of said issued patent relates to an apparatus or machine for automatically applying the eyelash forming strands to an artificial eye member and by the new method as claimedherein.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown in the accompanying drawings an eye shell member generally designated at 5 which may be drawn from a sheet of celluloid, or other.

inherently 'resilient material to provide ahemispherical end wall 6 upon which the eye pupil and the eyelid may be. painted or otherwise delineated in the manner customary in this art. In thedrawings, I have shown the wall thickness of this eye shell greatly exaggerated in order to better illustrate the essential characteristics ofmy present invention. I a

The hemispherical end wall 6 of the eye shell has a slit indicated at 7 cut therethrough, This slit is appropriately located with respect to the eye pupil as seen in Fig.

5 and the. angle of the cut with respect to the center of radius of the hemispherical Wall section 6 is also definitely predetermined. This slitis normally closed, or in other words the Opposed edges thereof are maintained in contacting engagement witheach other by the inherent resiliency of the celluloid or other material. Therefore, it will be understood that practically no material is removed from the shell wall to provide an un obstructed opening therethrough and that this slit 7 is in effect nothing more than a fracture of the shell all.

The eyelash forming strands indicated at 8 in the requisite predetermined number and of proper length are now arranged with the central part of each strand opposed to the slit 7 at the outer side of the shell, and said central portions of the strands are then engaged by the comparatively blunt edge 10 of a suitable tool blade 9. While the shell is held in a stationary position, pressure is applied by the edge of the blade 9 against the central portions of the strands 8 to fore the strands inwardly through said slit, the edge of the blade 9 expanding the hemispherical wall 6 of the shell at the opposite sides of the slit. Thus, the intermediate portion of each strand is formed into a loop indicated at 11 which projects inwardly from the inner surface of the shell wall. When the edge of the tool blade 9 is withdrawn the hemispherical wall 6 of the shell immediately contracts or returns to its normal condition and the upper and lower edges of the slit 7 exert a tight clamping pressure upon the two parts of each strand 8 extending through said slit. As shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, this clamping pressure results in a slight separation of the outwardly projecting end portions of the strand so that they lie side by side in closely adjacent relation to form the individual eyelash membersl2. Thus, it will be understood that the number of strands 8 to be assembled with the tool blade 9 and inserted through the slit 7 is only one-half of the total number of individual eyelash members 12 which may be required in accordance with the size of the eye member and the length of the slit 7.

Since the edges of the slit 7 clamp upon and securely hold the portions of the lash forming strands extending through said slit, it will be evident that the angular relation which these edges of the slit bear to the outer hemispherical surface of the shell wall determines the angle at which the lash members 12 will project from said surface. After the lash strands have been ap alied in this manner, the projecting ends of the strands may be curled or curved as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings.

For all reasonable uses to which the fi ure provided with my new artificial eyes would be subjected, the resilient clamping confinement of the eyelash strands between the edges of the slits 7 is suficient to securely hold said strands against casual displace ment or disengagement from said slit. However if desired, for purposes of greater security, after the eyelash strands have been arranged in the manner above explained, I may apply a suitable liquid cement indi cated at 14 to the inner surface of the shell wall over the strand loops 11, thus securely interlocking said loops with each other and also adhesively connecting the same with the inner surface of the shell wall.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying draxw ings, the improved artificial eye structure as well as the method of applying the eyelashes will be clearly and fully understood.

t will be evident that by means of my new method, together with the structural provision in the wall of the eye shell for securely fixing the lashes in their applied position, the quantity production of such artificial eyes may be greatly expedited and with an appreciable reduction in cost. By means thereof, the use of adhesive or additional holding or clamping means for the inner ends of the eyelash strands may in many cases be wholly dispensed with without impairing the security of the connection to such an extent as to render the article commercially impractical. I have herein disclosed a preferred method of applying or attaching the eyelash forming strands to the artificial eye shell, but it will be understood that in so far as the structure of said shell is concerned and the means whereby the lashes are held in fixed connection there with, it is not essential that each strand shall be folded centrally on itself to form the two individual eyelash members, since it is obvious that each eyelash member may be formed from a separate strand. Therefore, it is to be understood that while I have herein described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my present improvements, the same might also be incorporated in various other alternative structures, and I therefore, reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In an artificial eye, an eye shell of resilient material having a closed slit in its wall, and eyelashes having parts engaged through said slit and fixedly clamped between the opposed edges thereof by the in herent resiliency of the wall structure tending to close said slit.

2. In an artificial eye, an eye shell of resilient material having a normally closed slit in its wa'll presenting opposed edges in predetermined angular relation to the outer surface of the eye shell, and eyelashes extending through said slit and fixedly clamped between the edges thereof by the inherent resiliency of the wall structure tending to close the slit and maintaining the eyelashes in a definite angular-1y projecting relation to the outer surface of the shell wall.

3. In an artificial eye, an eye shell of resilient material having a closed slit in its Wall, eyelashes extending through said slit and having parts projecting internally and externally from the shell wall, the portions of the eyelashes engaged in said slit being fixedly held by the inherent resiliency of the shell wall tending to close said slit, and additional means for securing the internally projecting parts of the eyelashes in fixed relation to the shell wall; a

4. In an artificial eye,'an eye shell of resilient materialv having a closed slit in its wall, individual eyelash strands extending through said slit and'fixedly held therein by the inherent resiliency of the shell wall tending to close said slit, portions of the individual strands projecting internally and externally from the shell wall, and additional means for connecting the internally projecting portions of thestrands in fixed relation to each other.

5. In an artificial eye, an eye shellof resilient material having a closed slit in its wall, individual eyelash strands extending through said slit and fixedly held therein by the inherent resiliency of the shell wall tending to close said slit, portions of the indi- V vidual strands projecting internally and externally from the shell wall, and additional means interlocking the internally projected parts of the strands with'each other and securing the same in fixed relation to the shell wall. v 6. Inan artificial eye, an eye shell of resilient material having a closed slit in its wall, and a plurality of eyelash strands each folded upon itself and extending through said slit to provide end portions forming adjacent lash members projecting from the outer surface of the shell wall, and the. parts of the lash strands disposed through said slit being fixedly clamped, by the inherent resiliency of the-shell walltending to close said slit.

a V 7. In an artificialeye, an eye shell of refixed relation with each other, and the parts.

of the lash strands disposed through said resiliency of the shell wall'tending to cl e silient material'having a closed slit in its wall, and a plurality of eyelash strands each folded upon itself and extending through said f slit to provide end portions forming adjacent lash members projecting from the outer surface of the shell wall, the fold loops of said strands projecting internally from the shell wall, means uniting said-loops in slit being fixedly clamped by the inherent said slit. 1

8. As an improved article of manufacture,

surface and having a slit cut through its wall in appropriate relation to saidpupil the edges of which are normally in contact,

and adapted to be separated under pressure for the insertion of eyelash strands there an" artificial eye shell of resilient material 1 bearing the representation of a pupil on 1ts through whereby said strands will befixedly lar relationto theouter surface of said Wall, then engaging parts of a plurality of eyelash V strands with the edge of an expanding tool and forcing the sameinwardlythrough said slit to therebyseparate the edges ofthe slit and expand the shell wall and finallywithdrawing said tool to permit the shell wall to contract and closesa dslit and thereby fixedly clamp the strands between the opposed edges of the slit with said strands projecting definite angular relation to the surface of the eye shell. v a i i i i j V The fmethodd of applying eyelash strands to artificialeye shellsof resilient material 1 which consists in" first cutting a slit "through the wall of the eyeshell in arcdeten mined angular relation to the outer surface of the shell, then engaging the edge of an expanding tool with the central portions of a plurality of individual eyelash strands and "forcing said strands under pressure through said slit to therebyfold eaclr strand upon itself and separate the edges of the slit, and

thenwithdrawing the expanding toolto per- 1 i mit the shell wall to return to itsnormal condition and close said slit whereby the individual strands are subjected to a clamping confining pressurebetween the edges of:

the slit and the end portions of the strands are fixedly held in definitely spaced relation to each other and at a. predetermined outwardly projecting angle from the surface of i the shell wall; i

11. The method of applying eyelash strands to artificial eye shells of resilient ma terial, which consists in first cutting 3a slit L through the Wall of the eye shell in predetermlned angular relation to the outersurface of the shell then en a ing the edge of 7 b b a c an expanding tool with the central portions of a plurality of individual, eyelash strands and forcing said strands under pressure through said slit to therebyfold each strand upon itself and separate the edges ofthe slit v with the folds ofthe strands projecting from the inner surface of the shell wall, and then withdrawing the-expanding tool to permit j the shell wall to return to its normal condr tion andclose said slitwhereby the individual, strands are subjected to a clamping COIlfilllIlg "pressure between the edges of the slit "and the end portions of the strands are fixedlyvheld in definitely spaced relation to each other and at a predeterminedoutwardly project ing angle from the surface of the shell wall, andfinally fixedly uniting the inwardly pro jecting folds of the strands against movement relative to each other and with respect to the shell Wall.

12. As an improved article of manufactare, an artificial eye shell having a slit in its Wall to receive eyelash strands, the ma terial of the shell being resilient to provide means for fixedly holding the parts oi the lash strands positioned in said slit against relative movement in the plane of the slit.

13. As an improved article of manufacture, an artificial eye shell of resilient 1naterial having opposed relatively yieldable port-ions between which eyelash strands are adapted to be inserted upon the relative separation of said portions, and said portions exerting a clamping confining pressure upon the lash strands by the inherent resiliency of the shell Wall to fixedly retain the lash strands in attached relation to the shell.

14. An artificial eye comprising an eye shell bearing the representation of a pupil on its surface and having a slit through its Wall in appropriate relation to said pupil, eyelash strands having portions engaged in said slit, and said shell having a yielding portion constituting means fixedly holding the lash strands against an edge of said slit in the shell Wall.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

LEO J. GRUBMAN. 

